Brotherly Bonds
by HoneyBadgerDC
Summary: Nasus has tried and tried again to deal with Renekton's shattered mind, but to no avail. Finally, even the Summoner's magic fails to keep Renekton in check, and Nasus knows the time has come to end it once and for all.


"As I live, ALL WILL DIE!" The crocodile man roared.  
"Yes, Yes, Renekton, I'm well aware" his brother replied calmly.  
Nasus, the Curator of the Sands, sat cross legged on the floor reading a book, little more then five feet away from the thrashing Crocodile monstrosity that was Renekton. He often came down here to try and talk with his brother, in the hopes of restoring his sanity. These sessions always failed, and only seemed to make Renekton more angry.  
"Brother, I understand that you have seen much wickedness in the minds of men, but I fail to understand why I am the object of your rage. If you hate evil so much, why have you become so surrounded by it?" the jackal man asked.  
Renekton quieted for a moment, then exploded in another angry rant.  
"NASUS YOU FOOL! THE HEARTS OF THE LIVING ARE FILLED WITH HATE AND ANGER! THEY CANNOT BE SAVED, THEY CANNOT BE CLEANSED, ONLY IN DEATH DO THEIR EVILS CEASE!" the reptile screamed.  
"And am I evil Renekton?" Nasus asked, his composure remaining calm.  
Once again, Renekton quieted, but instead of screaming, his muscles relaxed and the stress on his chains ceased.  
"You are the worst of them all" Renekton hissed in seething anger.  
This piqued Nasus' curiosity. This was the farthest he had gotten to Renekton in quite awhile.  
"Oh?" he responded.  
"You defend them, you give them no punishment for their actions. You preach your wisdom to those who will hear it, but they twist your words." The crocodile said calmly.  
"My wisdom brings guidance and peace to those who hear it, Renekton. You may not believe so, but my knowledge has helped far more then it has hurt" Nasus replied.  
Renekton scoffed, his nostrils flared.  
"Renekton, I still love you my brother, and I will keep trying to save you, but I need you to help me help you." Nasus said, almost pleading.  
Renekton looked at his beloved brother with a look of understanding. It looked as though he wanted to say something similar.  
As soon as it appeared, however, it left, replaced with bloodshot eyes and seething rage.  
"I CARE NOT FOR YOUR FEELINGS, NASUS! YOU CANNOT ESCAPE ME FOREVER! I WILL REND YOUR ARMOR TO PIECES, I WILL SMASH YOUR STAFF IN HALF. I WILL TEAR THE FLESH FROM YOUR BONES, AND I WILL DEVOUR YOUR BODY" The monster screamed, bloodlust overwhelming him.  
The chains that were restraining Renekton all of a sudden clinked hard, the walls that held them shook, and the room began to tremble.  
Summoners flocked into the room, but as they were about to utter incantations, Nasus stopped them.  
"Teleport us to Summoners Rift" the Curator ordered.  
One of the summoners was about to protest, but Nasus glared at him.  
"Now." Nasus growled.  
The summoners complied, and both Crocodile and Jackal disappeared in a blink of light.  
Seconds later, they appeared on the battlefield. eight champions were already there, and looked in shock as they materialized. Nasus looked at the champions whose base he had been teleported too.  
"Please put a pause in your aggressions and allow me to settle a dispute with my brother." he asked politely.  
The champions, a Minotaur, an Armadillo, and a gun toting red head looked at him with shock, and hurriedly ran to their base. They all remembered the last time that they had met Renekton. Alistar and Rammus disappeared in a flash of light, leaving Miss Fortune standing alone. Looking at Nasus, she saw a single tear escape his eye. She was about to say something, but turned sheet white as she heard Renekton's furious roar. She sprinted to the center of the summoning platform, and dematerialized.

On the other side of the field, Renekton screamed at the present champions whose base he had been placed.  
"LEAVE! NOW!" he roared.  
A Snake Woman, a dagger carrying Red Head, and a hooded man with many knives looked to a limping man with a bird perched on his shoulder.  
The man took a look at Renekton and smiled.  
"Better do as he says, besides, this will be much more interesting to watch from above" he said, slyly.  
The Noxian champions walked onto their platform, past the raging crocodile man, disappearing one by one.  
The snake woman paused in front of him, and placed her hand on his face.  
"Win." Cassiopeia whispered in his ear.  
Renekton looked at her awkwardly. He had met Cassiopeia before, she was one of the few champions who bothered to speak to him during matches. He liked her, to a degree.  
As she slithered into the center of the platform, and flashed away, Renekton decided something. If he was going to exterminate all life, he'd save her for last.  
Brushing these thoughts out of his mind, he took off towards the center lane, knowing Nasus would be waiting for him.

Nasus sat under his turret, watching the sunset. He was deep in thought, reflecting on the past, thinking of his brother.  
When they were younger, they were inseparable. He and Renekton had been celebrities to their people, symbols of brotherly love and family. They would spend weeks camping in the desert at a hidden oasis, fishing and building fortresses out of sand and rock. They would sleep under the stars, Nasus pondering them, Renekton wondering what they tasted like.  
He remembered their father, the former guardian of the ancient library, giving him and his brother their respective weapons. Nasus', a staff of ancient power, had been passed down through generations of curators. Renekton's, a beautiful, bow-like blade, was a family heirloom. Their parents had treated them equally with love, and the brothers treated eachother just as well, though Renekton always gave Nasus slightly more respect, as he was the elder of the two.  
He thought of his first day as curator of the library. People had flocked to see him, and Renekton had dutifully stood at the ancient doorway, looking carefully and deeply into the minds of those who came before him. Almost every single person who came that day was able to enter, times were good during that period.  
"How happy he was, then" Nasus murmured to himself.  
He reflected on how the times had changed, however.  
Nearly two decades after he first took took the position, a brief-but-bloody war had broken out. Friend against friend, brother against brother, many were traumatized by the loss of this conflict. Nasus and Renekton, however, had remained at their library, giving knowledge to either side as long as they swore they would use it properly (Renekton was always able to tell who was lying).  
This was when it had started.  
Renekton began to get headaches and nightmares. He would toss and turn in his sleep and claw at the air. He would, on occasion, be agitated, and flinched when people called his name.  
Nasus, though concerned, simply thought that it was a phase, and Renekton would get over it eventually.  
"You fool, you damned fool" Nasus cursed at himself, "If you had helped him then, none of this would have happened" he muttered under his breath.  
This behavior occurred for awhile, then ceased. Nasus had thought it was over, and then it happened.  
One day, a man came to the library, seeking Nasus' guidance.  
As always, Renekton stopped him at the entrance, and looked into his mind. In a second, the man turned pale, and Renekton's eyes went bloodshot.  
"HOW DARE YOU!" The Crocodile Man had roared.  
Grabbing the man by the throat, Renekton had smashed his body against the wall of the library, with such force that Nasus could feel it from the pedestal at which he stood.  
"Renekton! Stop! You're killing him!" Nasus cried, running to his brother.  
As Renekton lifted his arm to deal the killing blow, Nasus grabbed him and swung him around, slamming them both on the ground.  
In his fury, Renekton grabbed his blade from his back and had it at Nasus' throat, only stopping when he saw who it was.  
Panting heavily, Renekton's grip on his blade loosened and he threw it away from him, tears filled his eyes, and the rage left him. He fled to private quarters in the library, and wouldn't come out for days.  
The man survived, though he had suffered multiple broken bones and a serious concussion. Nasus had scuffed his armor a little, but had no injuries otherwise.  
He didn't find out why Renekton attacked the man until much later.  
The most damaged from the incident, however, was Renekton.  
When he finally emerged from the room, he was a changed person.  
No longer did he and his brother speak about the stars, nor did they camp in the oasis to escape the crowds. No longer was Renekton his brother, merely his soldier.  
Whenever Nasus tried to talk to him, Renekton rebuffed him and told him to go away.  
Years later, the man came back.  
This was the day that Renekton snapped completely.  
Nasus was teaching a group of his disciples when he heard screaming outside, and an all too familiar voice screaming sayings of violence and bloodshed.  
At the doorway to the great library lay the body of the man who had come back. A small dagger concealed in his belt. He was no doubt an assassin who had come to kill someone in the library, possibly Nasus himself.  
Leading away from the man was a trail of blood, and on this trail lay the strewn bodies of men, women, and children.  
Nasus cringed at the memory, yet continued to meditate.  
"No, No, NO!" this can't be happening!" He had said, hurriedly following the pathway.  
The wreckage of carts and more bodies finally led him to an alleyway, where a hulking shadow stood. He was covered in blood from head to toe, his once elegant blade twisted into a cruel, malicious weapon.  
"Renekton, please tell me this wasn't you, please tell me you were chasing the culprit!" Nasus cried, pleadingly.  
The thing that looked back at him was no longer Renekton, his beloved brother. No, this was rage incarnate. A demonic monster, a raging abomination.  
A literal Butcher of the Sands.  
He looked at his brother with a savage grin on his face, he laughed heartily and evilly. The monstrous sound bellowing from his throat.  
This was the first time Renekton said those horrid words...  
"AS I LIVE, ALL WILL DIE" He had screamed, and charged at his brother.  
The rest had happened so fast. Renekton had blindly charged, ignoring his exhaustion and the fact that Nasus had raised his staff. Uttering incantations that were known only to the curators of the library, Nasus had struck him with enough force to shatter mountains.  
As he had stood there, over the battered and beaten body of his brother, Nasus had wept, he had screamed, he had torn his hair and dreaded what was about to happen. As he composed himself, he raised his staff one more time, to deal the blow that would end Renekton's suffering and his carnage.  
Renekton had looked at him, breathing through labored breaths. His jaw had been shattered and his ribs smashed. His body lay broken, and he knew his days were over. He gave his brother a knowing glance, and, through a tremendous amount of pain, had nodded. He had lain back then, and awaited the death that never came.  
That was when Nasus had been called to this world, and Renekton, spared.  
Nasus opened his eyes and stood, using his staff to help him up. The sun was on the distant horizon now, the brightest shades of orange bathing the land. It reminded him of home.  
He stared down the lane, and waited for his brother to appear.

After he had darted off the summoner platform, Renekton, too, had sat and waited, though not to meditate. He had waited for the sun to set to a certain point, as was custom for a battle for their people. Instead of a turret, he had went to the river. He had taken his armor off and polished it, as well as his blade. He had poured oil over his scales so that they gleamed, and cleaned his teeth with the clear waters of the river. If he died this day, he would die clean, so that his body would be worthy of his soul in the afterlife. He looked at the sun, slowly setting over the horizon. It looked more beautiful to him today then it had in his entire life time. In a flash, however, his thoughts returned once more to Nasus, and his anger exploded out of his system in a savage, feral scream. He took off towards his mid turret, ready to face destiny.

Nasus heard Renekton before he saw him. The ground quaked and the trees shook. Birds flew away, and even the minions, who were mindless dolls, returned to their bases. Renekton walked into view. He had cleaned himself, he looked like he used to before the change. He looked like his brother again.  
"NASUS!" Renekton roared.  
"Renekton." Nasus stated, calmly.  
"TODAY, YOU DIE BY MY HAND!" Renekton yelled.  
"Renekton, you won't land one blow on me" Nasus said as he raised his staff and formed a battle stance.  
Renekton saw this, and raised his blade as well.  
At once, the earth began to rumble, the river water churned, and the wind began to blow strongly. Sand began to form out of the ground, and swept around the combatants violently. Nasus and Renekton both began to glow, and their sizes began to enlarge.  
Clouds formed in the sky, the only light now being the slowly fading sun in the distance. Instead of orange, the earth was now engulfed in the colors of blood red and black.  
Renekton roared and charged, his dominus form complete. Nasus, silent, moved forward as well.  
As their weapons met eachothers, lightning struck the area around them, and thunder boomed.  
Watching these two titans clash was like watching gods do battle. Between the forces of nature being scrambled, the noise of clanging metal, and the shockwave of when their weapons met, one would even think that the world was coming to an end.  
With one last blow each, the titans separated, their godlike size shrinking back to their regular forms.  
Through panted breaths, Nasus began to chant the words he spoke so long ago, however, this time, he spoke not only with his breath, but with his energy itself.  
Pillars rose out of the ground, the runes of the tongue in which Nasus spoke appeared on them.  
Renekton, seeing this, summoned every last bit of his strength, and jumped towards his brother. Nasus stood hunched over, his staff behind his back crackling with energy. Renekton reached his arm out, as though to grab his brother.  
Nasus swung his head up out of the way of Renekton's swiping claws, and smashed his staff into his brothers chest.  
Renekton was sent spiraling back, smashing into his turret and reducing it to rubble.  
At once, the weather stopped, and returned back to the orange glow of the now fading sun.  
Nasus walked over to the pile of stone on the ground, he opened his mouth to speak, but he choked on the words.  
Renekton was still breathing, but just barely. It was obvious that he couldn't move.  
"Nasus..." he said.

"Nasus..." Renekton said.  
He looked at his brother, standing over him. He had won the battle, though his face showed no pleasure in victory.  
Renekton smiled widely.  
"Nasus, I've never even come close to your power, have I?" he asked, pitifully.  
Nasus just stood there and shook his head, he was clearly trying to hold back tears.  
"Do not mourn me, brother, for in death, my mind is cleansed" the crocodile continued.  
Nasus fell to his knees, his arm over his face.  
Renekton chuckled, and tried to lift his arm, it wouldn't move. He chuckled quietly as he closed his eyes.  
"Shame, I was hoping I could land at least one hit on you" he whispered as he slipped away.

"Shame, I was hoping I could land at least one hit on you" Renekton whispered.  
Nasus took his arm away from his eyes, Renekton was completely still. His eyes were closed, and his breathing had stopped.  
Nasus stood up, and, for the first time in his life, roared in anger.  
"YOU DAMN FOOL!" He screamed, and punched the crocodile man's body. He beat on the hard scales he once patched up, he punched the gut that he had once kept filled with food, and he let lose a flurry of blows upon the body that was once his brother.  
Nasus collapsed in utter exhaustion and let his grief wash over him. He had not wanted to kill his brother, he wanted to save him.  
"Renekton, I love you, my brother". Nasus said through his sobs.

A few days later, Nasus was sitting in the containment cell that once held his brother. The chains hung loosely from the walls now, their captive having left the dismal place.  
He was reminiscing all the good times he had had with his brother when a summoner entered.  
"If your goal is to call me to a match, I'm afraid I will have to politely decline" Nasus said, not looking at the man who came before him.  
The summoner stood there quietly for a moment, before saying "Champion Nasus, Curator of the Sands, while we are sorry for your loss, we require you to fulfill your oath to the league..." he started.  
Nasus stood up.  
"You stole me from my homeland, you took me here against my will, you bring my brother and I back into combat, and you DARE TO LECTURE ME ABOUT AN OATH?!" Nasus roared.  
The Summoner took a step back from the enraged Jackal.  
Immediately, Nasus regained his composure and sat back down, turning away from the summoner again.  
"No one should have to kill their brother, and should never have to do it twice. I've had to do so because of you. I've done enough for you summoners." He said.  
The Summoner nodded, and left Nasus alone with his memories.  
Nasus lay back on the cold stone floor, closed his eyes and thought of the oasis in the desert.


End file.
